Monday, February 27, 2017

For several days in mid February I enjoyed hanging out with friends in the back country just north of the town of Borrego Springs. I had heard about this place, the great boondocking, and its metal sculptures. This year I got to see it first hand! Here is a movie/slide show of the photos I took of some of the metal sculptures at Galleta Meadows on the 16th. Most were large, some were humongous, and a few were of human proportion.

Here is a photo of 12 metal scuptures of big horn sheep -- rams, ewes, and lambs. Click on the picture to enlarge, then see if you can find all 12 sheep!

Big Horn sheep at Galetta Meadows, 2/16/17

Camping with friends in Borrego Springs ... good views, great company.

Friday, February 10, 2017

Pre-RTR Sunset. Already, many attendees have arrived. It was the largest number of
participants since the first RTR in the Winter of 2011 (Quartzsite, AZ) 1/10/17
Note: Click on photos to enlarge.

Most every morning for the 10-Day RTR event, Bob Wells (the organizer)
would teach a seminar. Before each 10 AM seminar, folks would offer
services, items for sale, request help, and make announcements. 1/11/2017

Afternoon seminars were offered on a variety of topics. Here is a saguaro cactus and a rainbow
showing off after the Living Out of a Small Car Seminar. 1/14/17

On nice evenings, groups, large and small would gather around the campfires
dotting the desert. Here is the group I hung out with. 1/15/17

We had some good conversations ... but sometimes we would just quietly stare into the fire. 1/15/17

Good memories. 1/15/17

The last colors of sunset. 1/18/17

Looking east the the sunrise. Looking west at the same time below ... 1/20/17

Looking west at a rainbow at the same time. 1/20/17

I needed 2 frames to capture to whole rainbow. 1/20/17

Raining ... this photo taken through the windshield just before night fall. 1/20/17

During the last night of the RTR, we gathered around the main campfire. Although the RTR is primarily a boot camp for new nomads, and an opportunity to see old friends again, we have also adopted an end-of-RTR-celebration called "Burning Van" 1/21/17

The "van" to be burned is actually a wooden cut out. 1/21/17

RTR attendees are encouraged to sign and make brief comments before it's burned. 1/21/17

It's burned to a specially-written RTR song for the occasion. 2/21/17

Every winter I look forward to the RTR. I've made life-long friends and am always amazed at the generosity and helpfulness of those who attend.

Welcome

I travel full time in my Toyota Prius. I started as a part-timer from 09-'16. I call it my "Prius RV" because it's fully self contained. After some early tests, I became totally hooked on being in nature, shunpiking (taking back roads), and exploring local histories, cultures & geology.

-Oct '09: Test trip, Yosemite NP,

-Apr-Sept '10: US National Parks,

-Summer '11: US West Coast,

-Winter '12: US Gulf Coast,

-Summer '13: Short trips with hubby,

-Winter '14: Family & friends, CA-FL,

-Feb-May '15: Snowbird, AZ-UT,

-Fall '15: Family & friends, CA-AZ,

-Winter '16: Friends camping in SW,

-Winter '17: US Southwest

I hope you enjoy these posts of my travels. If you'd like details about how I live out of my Prius, see the links directly below.